EVENT: ~*~Heat Wave~*~

[trainmasters]

Who: Heroes! Old ones, new ones...!
When: Day 42, afternoon
Where: Around the train

[ Good news, everyone! Those pesky cicadas are gone at last! You might have even had a chance to relax, except....

Except for the heat wave.

It's like the worst parts of the last dregs of summer come to torture you with excrutiating heat. It's heat so bad you could swear that you've started melting yourself the second you step outside. It's terrible. At least with the cold you can add more layers on, how are you supposed to deal with heat?? You can't just walk around naked??

(That's not a suggestion.)

Here's the thing about the heat, though: It's bad enough that it's causing mirages-- mirages of people you may even recognize, people who are lost in the dark. People who will try to lead you into danger, people who don't want what's best for you after all....

That aside, you may or may not have noticed that there's some new teammates on the train! The notification appears cheerfully on everyone's Chains:

WELCOME NEW HEROES

And you may find yourself wearing a label you can't seem to remove until you've spoken to at least one other person: "Hi, I'm ______! Talk to me about ______!"

There's a mischievous giggle in the wind that you may recognize as the same one that ran the plants and secrets game. ]

[[ NOTES: You're welcome to make team posts if you like, or intro directly into this mingle if you haven't already. Until next month's placements, the heat wave will persist. Characters stand the risk of seeing castmates not in the game until that point, mirages from the heat. Enjoy! ]]

Comments

[malignstar]

Whoa! Desdemona?

[learnedfool]

Yes?

[It's still Pen's voice from Pen's throat, but the accent and cadence is different.]

[malignstar]

[ Something akin to a growl pours from Felix's throat and his voice sounds smoother but less friendly ]

The demon.

[learnedfool]

[And Pen is grabbing the metaphorical wheel back from Desdemona]

Do you have a problem with us, sir?

[malignstar]

[ Just as quickly, Felix seems to stumble back, clutching his head ]

For the love of—what the hell was that?

[learnedfool]

I don't know, but I would really like to have Des's full sight back to know.

[malignstar]

Full sight?

[learnedfool]

She can see in the dark. And... things that are happening on the spiritual level, like shamanic investment. And share that sense with me.

[malignstar]

That would definitely be useful.

[learnedfool]

Yes it would. There's a lot I don't understand right now, that I would like to.

[malignstar]

Well, the easiest ways toward memories is to bond.

[learnedfool]

Memories are not my problem, I'm afraid. We have the whole set, this is just very strange.

[malignstar]

Well, powers in your case.

[learnedfool]

Yes, that. Though they are Desdemona's powers, I just have access to them.

[malignstar]

Sounds like you two get along pretty well.

[learnedfool]

We've been working together for over a decade. And we happen to compliment each other.

[malignstar]

Nice that you could sort out the time share thing.

[learnedfool]

Des is experienced. I was... less so, but it let me leave the cantons and go to university.

[malignstar]

What do you mean?

[learnedfool]

I was the younger son of a minor noble with no money. But temple sorcerers are supposed to be trained divines. Once I... argued against exorcising Des, I was shuffled off to university to learn the things the Order thought I should have known before I was given a demon.

[malignstar]

How did you find Des?

[learnedfool]

I was on the road to be married to a merchant's daughter, when I noticed a group of people on the road surrounding an old divine. Which happened to be Des's previous rider. She was dying, and Des decided I was a better choice than any of the people Learned Ruchia was traveling with.

Because he was, even if all I knew was that he was good-looking and the sort to stop and offer to help. Ruchia's attendants were terrified of her, or of me.

The marriage was called off; the bride's family wasn't expecting to get a sorcerer... or a possessed man. And I was out cold for some time after Des took up residence.

[malignstar]

So it wasn't really a mutual setup?

[learnedfool]

It was an emergency. Des would have died with Ruchia if she didn't immediately find another rider, and an animal... it would be like chopping most of herself off to fit.

And, well, I did stop to offer help to a divine of the Bastard, and ask if there was anything I could do. Her god... our god quite likely decided that there was.

[malignstar]

Did you understand what was going on?